His Holiness the Dalai Lama Bestows Ordination Vows[Tuesday, 16 March 2010, 9:30 a.m.]
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| His Holiness the Dalai Lama bestowing ordination vows at his residence in Dharamsala on 15 March 2010.Photo:Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama |
Dharamshala:
His Holiness the Dalai Lama on Monday ordained a group of monks as
fully ordained monks following the Mulasarvastivada Vinaya tradition
which was established in Tibet by the Indian Abbot Shantarakshita in
the eighth century at the behest of the then Tibetan Emperor Trisong
Deutsan.During the last 51 years of exile in India
His Holiness has ordained over 7,795 Bhikshus, including the 32 who
ordained today. Vinaya, the moral code for Buddhist practitioners, is
common to Theravada order and is the foundation of Buddhist practice of
concentration and wisdom. Therefore, those who have received the
Bhikshu ordination must feel glad for the opportunity to lay this
foundation within themselves on a personal level as well as for the
service they would render to the Dharma by becoming a fully ordained
monk.
to the ordination His Holiness and the senior Bhikshus who assisted him
performed the ceremony of confessing any infractions caused to their
vows and restoring their vows and set the stage for the ordination.
At
the beginning of the ordination ceremony, His Holiness instructed the
prospective Bhikshus to offer flowers to the Teacher Buddha and the
senior Bhikshu Sangha for the ordination in celebration of the occasion
which they all did. Likewise, the would-be Bhikshus followed His
Holiness’ instructions to prostrate to the Buddha, the founder of
Buddhism, His Holiness as the Abbot of the ordination and ten other
Senior Bhikshus present at the ordination including Venerable Jhado
Rinpoche, an ex-Abbot of Namgyal Monastery, and Venerable Tromthok
Rinpocher, the current Abbot of Namgyal Monastery who acted as the
Activity Master and Master of the Secret.
His
Holiness also blessed the two yellow robes, lower robe and mat for the
monks. They were instructed not to separate themselves from these robes
during the night. In case, they remained separated from them for that
period of time, they must get them blessed again by a qualified Bhikshu.
During
the actual ordination each group of three monks are ordained together
while the rest of the monks must close their ears. This was followed
according to the tradition.
The
monks were served lunch at the ordination place and it was their last
meal of the day. Monks and nuns have the vow to avoid taking meals
after lunch.
The
Abbot of the ordination instructed the Bhikshus to keep their vows
purely without causing infractions. The necessary instruction pertinent
to keeping their vows were given.
Coincidentally,
today a Sri Lanka Bhikshu Ven. B. Dhammaratana Maha Thero was also
invited by His Holiness to witness the ordination of monks as Bhikshus
in the Mulasarvastivadin tradition.
(Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama)
